In Time's Eye, Pt II The Nick of Time
by paxmundi
Summary: SG1 becomes trapped on uncharted planet P3X454 when a small Goa’uld expeditionary force suddenly appears through the Stargate. Unknowingly aided by a mysterious stranger, SG1 must now save her from a fate worse than death.


"In Time's Eye" Pt II, "The Nick of Time"

Summary: SG1 becomes trapped on uncharted planet P3X-454 when a small Goa'uld expeditionary force suddenly appears through the Stargate. Unknowingly aided by a mysterious stranger, SG1 must now save her from a fate worse than death, and prevent valuable Ancient technology from falling into enemy hands.

Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Crossovers, Drama, Humor, Series, Smarm, Other  
Crossover: other (not listed)  
Season: Season 4   
Pairing: Team  
Rating: 13+  
Warnings: adult themes, language, minor language, violence  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

To the reader: I'm handling this installment of ITE on a chapter by chapter basis. Each chapter will be placed as a beta review, and may be subject to change. Any alterations will be placed as a short "To the reader" header. Even more so than part 1, I very much NEED your feedback. You are my beta readers. Thanks in the advance for your encouragement.

"In Time's Eye" – Part 2, "The Nick of Time"

------P3X-454, Sobk Guard camp perimeter, early evening-------

Clouds as ominous and grey as the mountains that spawned them washed over P3X-454's tree carpeted lowlands. Harbingers of a winter storm, they swallowed the clear night sky like a boiling ocean of led. Daniel Jackson was no weather expert, but the young archeologist had lived in Colorado long enough to recognize mountain snow storms when he saw them. For someone who spent his early childhood in Mesopotamia, the approaching clouds loomed as ominous as linebackers on Monday Night Football.

"This doesn't look good." He muttered as he eyed the pregnant horizon.

"Looks like the Colonel and Teal'c are going to get it before we do." Major Samantha Carter echoed her teammate's misgivings "Hopefully it'll hold off until they're finished with the jafa guarding the gate."

"Maybe." Daniel grumbled as he flipped on his back, looking away from the horizon.

Noticing the slight change in her friend's voice, Sam pulled her attention away from the distant Sobk Guard encampment and darted him a quick glance. The clean lines of Daniel's jaw were tight while his blue eyes, normally warm and expressive, had grown as cold as the air.

"I'm sure they'll be ok Daniel." Sam murmured, laying a hand on his arm "This planet isn't all that different from Chulak or Colorado for that matter. Both Teal'c and the Colonel have extensive training…."

"I know."

The man that turned to look back at her bore little resemblance to the scrawny desert rat Sam remembered four short years ago. In reality, the Major knew her friend had been changing all along. His wife's capture and hope for her return had driven Daniel out of seclusion and into military life. He'd trained with them, absorbed everything and in the process, had remade himself. The man that looked back at her was still Daniel in all the important ways, but he was also something more; a man who knew darkness, knew what it was to take a life, and would do so again if asked. Maybe it had crept up on her after all the time they'd spent together, but the sudden realization hit Sam like a ton of bricks. She couldn't find enough breath to reply.

"It should be me out there." Daniel's iron-like bicep swelled under her palm as he jerked his chin violently in the direction O'Neill and Teal'c had taken.

"Daniel…" Sam pulled her hand away quickly as if she'd been stung. There was no easy answer she could give to calm the rage building in his eyes.

"Teal'c and I scouted that goddamn clearing!" Daniel whispered in a horse shout "I'm the reason we're still here. It's my fault. I should be out there instead of Jack. He can't keep coddling me like this Sam! I'm not some Christmas ornament that's going to break if I get stepped on."

"Oh Daniel…I…." Sam turned back to the encampment; she didn't want him to see the film of tears building in her eyes.

Her heart ached for him. When they first started going on missions, before they were every truly a team, she'd held a lot of the same impressions. Colonel Jack O'Neill had a 'mother hen' mentality, of that she was certain, but she also realized that his training as an officer came first. Though his reasons weren't always readily apparent, Sam knew the Colonel's decisions were usually best for everyone involved.

Beside her, Daniel's breathing finally evened out though his burning gaze was still directed out into the forest behind them "It should be me."

"Look," Sam took a deep breath and forced her voice to be stern "other than Teal'c, you're the only person here who has any idea about what's going on in that camp. The Colonel and I scouted it, but neither one of us knew about this jafa trap you described."

Daniel was looking at her again, curiosity mingling with his rage "What do you mean?"

Sam let out a pent up sigh "If something goes on in that camp that means they've caught on to us, or have changed the plans on us, you're more likely to know before I do. The Colonel isn't coddling you. He's just trying to make the best use of your knowledge."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak then abruptly closed it. Sam could tell from his expression that it was going to be another bitter retort. The handsome civilian had thought better of it though, and simply turned away. Uneasy silence grew between them and Sam used the moment to resume her check on their target.

When she turned back, she found Daniel looking at her again, though his anger had melted away into something resembling guilt "You'd figure I would know him better by now."

Sam rolled her eyes "Daniel, as much as we're around each other, you'd figure ANY of us would know better. It doesn't mean we still can't surprise one another…kind of like you…Doctor Rambo."

Daniel snorted "I'm hardly a Rambo. All I did was translate an obscure Goa'uld text for Major Casselman. The Wolf and The Lamb was part of it I remembered."

Sam cocked a bemused eyebrow and playfully reached out to squeeze Daniel's bicep once more "That's not what I meant, and according to scuttlebutt, I'm definitely not the only one who's noticed."

The young archeologist's expression alternated between flattered and horrified "Sam! I'm not…I mean…I didn't intend…I just figured I could work out with Teal'c, and…." He sputtered.

Carter muffled her laughter with her sleeve, glad her friend was no longer angry and certainly grateful for the release of tension. Despite her teasing, worry nagged at the back of her mind. So much with their hastily made plan could go wrong, and considering the odds they faced, wrong was not an option they could afford. She felt her emotional buzz start to wear off as she spared one more glance at Daniel. He too had grown pensive and quiet, though he was now looking back towards the Sobk encampment.

"Here," Sam passed over her binoculars "take a look and tell me what you think. It seems like the perimeter guard is rotated every fifteen minutes."

"That's about right." Daniel confirmed after squinting through the eyepiece for a moment "If I remember, they'll be waiting for us to make the first move, then draw us deeper into camp, and call in the four on gate duty for a rear ambush. They'd have us surrounded with little or no cover."

"Simple but effective," Carter mused as she checked her watch "It's just about time for the Colonel and Teal'c to check in, then we'll know if phase one of our plan worked."

Daniel nodded grimly "Let's hope…."

------ P3X-454, Stargate Clearing, early evening ------


End file.
